Dental implants are artificial teeth that are used to cover the spaces left by missing teeth that have either fallen out or have been extracted. A dental implants procedure comprises mainly of two main parts, a fixture and a fitting. The fixture is most commonly a small titanium based screw that is placed into the jawbone so as to leave a strong and secure base for the fitting to be placed. The fitting is usually either a crown or a bridge that is placed onto the titanium screw.

The dentist will then prepare the jaw and gums for the gums implants to be placed, they shall clean and sterilise the point of insertion so that the risk of infection is greatly reduced. The dentist will then insert the titanium screw into the jaw bone. Over time the jaw bone will fuse around the implant so now it is as secure as it possibly can for the fitting to be placed.

After this has taken place, the dentist will then re-evaluate your jaw and determine whether it is the right time for a crown or bridge to be placed. Until the final tooth is ready, a temporary implant tooth will be placed onto the fixture. Once the replacement tooth is ready the dentist will place it onto the fixture and you will have a new tooth.

Both the fixture and fitting parts of the dental implants procedure are fairly simple and there should be little complications within the procedure. The time taken for the implant procedure to be completed will vary from each patient. Some patients jaw bone fuses to the implant quicker than others, but your dentist will advise you of a more specific time scale when you go in for a consultation.